Mortal
by Thereonly1Phoenix
Summary: The well was closed but Kagome was pulled through by the desperation of Sesshomaru, who needs her to save Rin. Cursed to roam the earth as a mortal, after making a grevious mistake, Sessomaru has to rely on Kagome and Jaken to survive and rebuild himself.
1. Chapter 1

Im here with a story that has taken over my random muses, and I have to get it out!

Be gone demon, be gone!

I thing the subject of mortality and immortality are two interesting things that I feel have physcological issues that im drawn to. How would someone who was all powerful and took their strength, powers and immortality for granted be like when it is taken from them? Would they fall apart or learn to crawl then walk on their mortal feet? I think Sesshomaru would be stubborn but he isn't stupid.I actually enjoyed this story, I get the ideas for scenes as if they are mini movies being played and I can see this work both literally and visually.

See what you think!  
Just to let people know, i own nothing to do with Inuyasha or the anime and manga!

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Help.

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The screams were louder, agony piercing each wail as they tried to console her, helpless in their offering for she could only do this alone.

She has been like this for nearly a day, and things were now dangerous for the Lady of the West and the unborn child who seemed to have

become stuck.

He didn't need to enter to know his mate was losing a lot of blood, the maids would frequently leave the room carrying bowls of bloody towels and scarlet hued water, grim faced and offering no hope to the Lord of the West as he sat out on the wooden floor in the corridor.

Staring at the screens before him, he tries soothing the relentless heave of his animalistic nature that fought to be free and protect his beloved from all pain and harm. Another wail, weaker this time made his nerves rattled and his fangs lengthened, losing a slight edge over his demon.

He brought his knees up to his chest and rested his elbows upon them, hands propping up his weary head.

He had cut short a scouting trip that would have spanned the perimeters of his land and rushed back when a messenger conveyed the message to him that it was time and Lady Rin was giving birth.

He still wore his armour and his swords were laid carefully to one side.

Sesshomaru, Lord of the West had many victories, lands, enemies, riches and respect to his name and he was powerless right now.

He rose to his feet and began treading the boards once again; gritting his teeth together and ignoring the whispers of his off duty servants who were peered at him from nearby corners as they gossiped.

It was late afternoon and the home lands where the House of the West resided has effectively grinded to a halt, everyone waiting for what the outcome of this would be.

He could already hear whispers that if this continues, both mother and child will be dead by sundown.

The faint murmurings of the nurses attending to Rin were drowned by another cry as she wailed how tired she was.

Incense to ward off evil spirits were cloying the air as yet more linen and fresh water was carried in, the draft of air that wafted outwards carried the strong scent of blood, sweat, tears and all the puzzling varieties of emotions from the inhabitants of the room.

He could sense they were desperate, fatigue was dangerous and the mild musk of hysteria form the nurses were all he needed to smell to know that even his highly trained physicians didn't know what else they could do.

His mate was human and they have no experiences with Hanyou births.

There was a faint patter of feet as Jaken worriedly and wordlessly approached him.

Sensing the urge to do something far more productive than pacing the halls of his home, he turned to his aide as a plan formulated.

"I'm going to get help. You stay and do all you can."

Noticing his lord reputable formality was gone; the imp nodded and watched his lord paced towards his office. The surge of magic told him he has turned into the great demon dog and was bounding away to destination unknown.


	2. Chapter 2

Me again!

Back with another chapter and it's a bit longer and there's more going on!

It's Raining, It's Pouring.

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It rained on Grandpa's funeral. The grey sky was relentless in drenching the earth below with its cold tears as the wind sighed, its great gust of air ripping leaves from the trees and bending the grass flat.

That was two days ago and Kagome was watching the sickly weather as it continued to rage its temperamental war still.

The house felt dark, and the silence was heavy in respect for her grandpa's ashes which sat in his old former bedroom, whilst the family decided on what to do next.

Souta, her brother had returned from university to attend the funeral, his boyish youth had melted away to grow upwards into a tall, gangly frame which reminded their mother of their deceased father. He even had his father's height and unruly hair which stuck up at impossible angles despite whatever he did to tame it, their mother smiled as she recalled this particular memory.

And Kagome, being the eldest at twenty-three was now a woman instead of the softly rounded girl she was all those years ago when the well was open and those days were carefree and innocent.

Reality had a way of forcing itself upon her and ever since the well closed, the world to her had been grey and drab.

She moved away from home to avoid the painful memories of the feudal times and its inhabitants and even now, when she allowed her eyes to slide over to take in the old well house, she felt that dull but familiar sting of pain.

It was something she honestly could say she tried to put behind her but with so many questions and unanswered thoughts, it wouldn't lie still and allow itself to fade away with time.

What was Inyuasha up to now?

Did Sango ever get together with Miroku?

Is Shippou happy?

Have they forgotten her?

The faint smell of dinner cooking wafted up through her room to tickle her nose and she felt her tummy growl. She hadn't eaten well since the funeral as grief did funny things to one's diet.

Her grandpa had passed away in his sleep, giving no indication he was even unwell. That helped in some way. They knew he was in no pain and it appeared to simply be his time to go.

Gone was the smell of sake in the evening which he often heated to drink with his supper, the sounds of his uneven tread on the floor upstairs was now missing and the washing line hung empty now it wasn't laden with his freshly washed clothes he constantly dirtied with ink he spilt whilst writing some useless sutra he so firmly believed in.

Kagome at that moment felt empty.

Was everything in her life destined to simply fade away to leave her alone in this world?

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He needed to find a human he could trust, someone who could help Rin.

For some reason he found himself near Inuyasha's village but he knew his half-brother no longer lived there. He moved on several years back after the disappearance of the strange Miko that completed the Shikon Jewel.

He actually sought Sesshomaru out, telling him he won't be around any more as he wished to see the world for what it was. Things have changed and he couldn't be apart of it, waiting around for nothing. He also tried to make him promise to watch over the small village he lived in, something Sesshomaru made no response to but had done so every once in a while. The Hanyou may be insufferable and an offence to his blood-line but he was his kin…plus Rin had threatened she would not talk to him again if he denied this one simple request.

He stood upon the hill in his human form, internally puzzled as to why he was here; perhaps if his half-brother felt safe here they could help him too?

The village before him at the foot of the hill have now flourished to a small town, industry and trade propelling it to bigger things as more people moved to live here.

Smoke rose from the cooking fires, clothes fluttered on the washing lines as children played in the dusty streets whilst mothers gossiped in the markets and fathers toiled in the nearby fields.

And the Tai-Youkai stood alone on the grassy hill that was only occupied by an old dried up well.

He was here and he needed someone…anyone to help.

He felt a strange crackle of energy behind him and he turned to stare at the well, which appeared to be the source of this strange, ancient magic that he have never encountered before.

He cautiously moved towards it, vaguely aware that rumours concerning this well being enchanted were perhaps true.

The magic throbbed stronger as he grew closer, as if his very presence was enforcing it until he stood at its edge and looked down into its dark depths.

The magic stretched downwards until he felt it open out like a tunnel to somewhere else.

Where ever it was, he could smell so many scents that it left him reeling until several stood out.

Where ever the well led too, it was raining for he could smell the wet air; there was the scent of old, rotten wood lingering too.

Leaning over to stare down, he could see there was a shimmer of magic upon the well's bottom and the occasional breeze of air from the other side.

This was indeed powerful magic.

He strained all his senses to detect what was going on until something familiar tingled on the bottom of the well.

A presence.

A human presence.

To be more exact, a Miko's presence for he could feel the power rubbing against his own, bristling against his inner beast which recoiled in turn.

He knew this Miko, immediately an image came to mind of the young human girl who accompanied his half-brother all those years ago.

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She pulled herself up from the chair next to her bedroom window and headed downstairs, pulling her jumper on as she went. It's been so cold these pass few days as if death had lingered and seeped into the very house itself.

She passed through the kitchen where her mother stirred the dinner, dark circles under her eyes where occasionally still, a stray tear would slowly slid down her cheek until she wiped it away.

"I just need some fresh air mum." Kagome softly said, watching her mother turn and forced a smile, "Dinner shall be ready soon."

She nodded and opened the door, allowing the cold air to revive her a little. She stepped outside, feeling the slightest drops of rain still in the air and slowly began her walk to the god tree, wanting to see something familiar to make her feel normal again.

She hadn't been home much since she started university after finishing school with decent enough grades despite her various "illnesses" over the academic years. She then got herself a job in the banking business, and would feign to her mother she had to decline another invitation to come home due to being too busy with work commitments. She simply didn't want to come back and face the well again, along with its memories.

She was home now and the past still haunted her here.

The tree stood bare, its branches black against the grey sky as if it too wanted to claw its way to somewhere brighter. She let her eyes wander over its trunk, taking in the gnarled, scarred surface, whorled with age and natural destruction.

She then turned and let her eyes settled on the well house, heart heavy and mind cluttered with echoing memories, vying for her attention as a scramble of voices came to mind, each one louder than the one before until the screech of the wet, wooden door of the well house effectively silenced them.

She dropped her hand from the wet timber and took in the dark room before her where the wooden lip of the well jutted up from the ground.

Its been a long time since it was last opened. Souta's old childhood bike was propped to one side of the room, cobwebs gathered over it as well as some old toys such as a partly deflated football, a box of unwanted crockery, Kagome's old art easel and some ancient shrine relics.

She stepped down to sit herself on the edge of the well and flicked a stone that was on the ledge into the dark hole, hearing it clatter on the well's dried up river bed at the very bottom.

Empty.

As it should be.

She sat there, eyes looking down into the gloomy darkness of the well where its old earth remained still and silent, her mind in a trance like state.

She felt the darken mood of sorrow threatening to overtake her and she rose to her feet, aware that in the distance she could hear the rumble of approaching thunder and knew she was to head back in the house if she was to avoid the rain.

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He stretched his Youkai downwards and felt it give way, pressing through the barrier and emerging to where ever it was on the other side.

This Miko, he knew her and from what he could remember, despite her youthful age, she was indeed powerful and was more than capable of healing.

He needed her…No, Rin needed her and for his mate, he will get this Miko.

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She took a step forward towards the open doors when something flared behind her.

He reached downwards and released a coil of pure magic, a lasso of energy that was intended for the woman he could feel near the other side.

**********

She felt that rare, long ago sensation of powerful magic being forced until it snapped and before she could turn to see what it was, something had wrapped itself around her wrist and yanked her, arm and all, painfully over the edge of the well and down into its dark depths.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi! Back again! As you may be aware, these chapters are coming reasonably fast as I don't want to be sitting on chapters but please be aware these updates in the future will be a bit longer in coming as I will eventually close the gap between what i have written and what i will write!

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The Lady of the West

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It was too dark to see what had a hold on her as a screech tore from her mouth, brain registering the pain in her elbow and ribs where she collided with the wooden side of the well.

The winds of descent rushed pass her, tingling with the nostalgic magic she felt as a girl and she could feel a vague sense of excitement behind her fear that the well was indeed opened once more after all this time.

And before she could open her mouth once more to scream, she fell with a thud on the dark earthen bottom of the well.

She was breathing heavily, shock still shaking her nerves as she groggily rolled onto her back and stared up the dark tunnel up towards the blue sky. The wind whistled down the deep shaft and even at the bottom of the well she could feel it's cool tendrils of air against her clammy skin.

There was flicker as a snake-like tendril of magic uncoiled from her right arm where she felt a powerful presence standing in the deep shadows where the sunlight failed to reach.

She knew she wasn't alone.

She brought one hand up before her and let her long out-of-use Miko powers flare up in her palm as she groggily got to her feet.

The blue glow of her purification powers dimly lit up the darkness and in the eerie glow she saw the last person she expected to see.

"Sesshomaru." She breathed, not trusting him enough to diminish the holy power in her hand as he silently regarded her.

Shadows made him look even more sinister as his eyes watched her own, colourless in the blue light.

But even in the darkness of the well, Kagome knew all was not well.

He looked slightly dishevelled, there were signs upon his face if one looked hard enough to see he was exhausted and his clothes were wrinkled.

He reached a hand out, "Miko, this is urgent. This Sesshomaru hasn't time to stand here and tell you but you are urgently needed." His claws pricked into her already abused wrist which made her wince and open her mouth but before she could say anything, he shot upwards out the well with such a sudden jarring motion that she bit her tongue and shrieked as the silent Tai-Youkai pulled her to his side and shot through the sky.

The speed they travelled meant that Kagome couldn't open her eyes without the winds and the frozen air painfully freeze her eyeballs so she kept them closed and gripped onto the fur that Sesshomaru always wore that only just kept her warm.

She never seen him move so fast and whatever the hurry was, it was serious enough for Sesshomaru to be involved.

"Is…is it Inuyasha?" she managed to get out, shouting over the roar of the wind and receiving a harsh growl in response which she took as a no.

She felt them rapidly descend from the sky and slowly opened her eyes as the air around her felt warmer.

She blinked for the moment until she could see the land below bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun. the rugged yet impeccable landscape below her was vast and she could see the sloping roofs of many large buildings that clustered near each other, clearly all apart of the same complex.

She could feel the haze of magic over this area, many wards and barriers were set up yet Sesshomaru shot through them all until he landed on the grass before one large house and strode towards it.

There was a patter of feet then the door slid to one side as Jaken, looking somewhat distraught shook his head, "Things are…things are…not going well milord." He blurted as Kagome who stood behind Sesshomaru, still somewhat dazed and unmoving saw the stiffening of his shoulders.

He half turned to her, "This way Miko, time is of urgency and you are needed."

Without waiting, he stalked into the building and down the long, shadowy corridor lined with pale shoji screen walls framed in dark wooden panels.

Servants bowed out of the way as Kagome followed him, feeling the many demonic auras in her presence.

She caught the sound of crying which grew louder as she followed the Lord of the West deeper into what she presumed was his home.

He stopped and looked at her, his yellow eyes feral in the dim light of the mansion's halls.

"Save her. If you fail, I will kill you." He spoke, his voice low and emotionless but the threat was very real as he reached out and slid back the shoji door to reveal the scene before her.

The room was well illuminated, and bustling with many demons that all seemed fraught and confused. There was the iron tang of blood and the smell of incense burning across the room made Kagome's lungs shudder.

Sesshomaru seemed just as stunned, narrowing his eyes at several demons chanting in the corner accompanied by the tinny notes of a shamisan poorly played. From the uniform alone, Kagome presumed they were holy men.

Several women moved to one side revealing a heavily pregnant woman reclining on a futon.

She was human in appearance and was a graceful beauty if it weren't for the look of agony upon her flushed face.

The woman arched her back and screamed in pain, hands gripping her swollen abdomen as the women about her clucked uselessly.

"Who is she?" Kagome whispered, knowing Sesshomaru heard.

"She's my mate now save her," was her response.

"She's human?"

"Yes, you knew her when she was a girl." He looked at her as it dawned that the woman before her now was indeed Sesshomaru's younger charge, Rin.

"Save her, Miko or you die." He snarled, he pushed her into the room where she managed to remain upright thanks to her excellent sense of equilibrium.

Kagome silently panicked, she really was trying to take this all in but only five minutes ago she was on the other side of the well, five hundred or so years in the future.

Her eyes watched Rin writhe in pain until she snapped to attention, she may not know what to do but she was Rin's only change and any knowledge that she did have was better than nothing at all.

The shamisan whined in the corner grated on Kagome's nerves and the irritation was what fuelled her to do what she did next.

"Everyone out!" she shouted, her voice stilled everything in the room, including the wheezing Rin.

The only sounds were the dying note caught on the strings of the damned instrument in the corner and the steady drip of water, trickling from the cloth that hung limply from a maid's hand where she was about to rinse it.

All eyes moved to their lord who stood in the doorway as if to see what his response was, and when a growl was their answer, no one could move fast enough as the room became empty except for Kagome, Rin and a Inu- Youkai maid who stood in the corner with the most stubborn look upon her face.

"I will not be dismissed when my lady needs me." She growled, eyes flashing from brown to red until Kagome smiled, "Good, then you stay and help by getting Rin changed into fresh clothes and change the bed."

The young Miko turned to the Tai-Youkai who watched her with narrowed eyes, "Please, we need someone to bring us fresh water and linen."

He stared back at her, eyes alert and deadly then turned and walked out of sight.

Even when he wasn't there, she could feel his dangerous presence throbbing in the halls of his home.

"It'll do you well to remember girl, that you never order Lord Sesshomaru around in his own house." The maid hissed, her fingers twitched in agitation as Kagome ignored her to crouch down before Rin.

She brushed the woman's hair back from the flushed, damp forehead and smiled as Rin weakly smiled in return.

"Kagome? Is that you?" she breathed, too tired to talk properly as Kagome took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Yes it is Rin, or should that be Lady Rin?" Kagome teased, making Rin chuckle then gasp.

"You alright?" Kagome asked as Rin slumped her head back wearily on the pillow.

"Kagome…something wrong. I can feel it." she whispered back, her wide eyes sought Kagome's own as both of her hands, clammy with sweat grasped her own, "Promise me something, whatever happens you make sure my child is born.

"Rin, don't say that. I…"

"Promise me!" she hissed as another wave of pain contracted through her body.

"Sesshomaru will kill me if I let anything happen to you."

Rin closed her eyes and shook her head, "He won't. I know he won't. He's…what would you say….his bark is worst than his bite. He'd want you to think that but trust me when I say he's a very deep and loving person."

"But he's Sesshomaru."

That statement made both women exchange a glance then a smile.

"He makes me so happy Kagome, yes he has a nasty side and a short and rude temper but he truly loves me. But I would be happy to know that you were here to present him his child, whatever happens. I know you'll make sure he will look after my baby. He just sometimes…needs a push in the right direction."

Rin groaned, her teeth gritted together once more as her hands squeezed much of Kagome's feelings out of them.

"Okay, I promise Rin but I'm going to do all I can and you're not going to give up and die on me, promise?"

With a weak wheeze of laughter, Rin nodded and Kagome pulled her hands free before indicating to the maid she was to change her into something cleaner.

Another maid silently entered, bearing a large bowl with fresh water and several clean bales of linen. She was ushered to help Rin stand up and was ordered to wash her Lady's legs free of blood as Kagome changed the sheets of the futon then opened the outdoor shoji doors a bit in order to banish the smell of incense and the thick tang of emotions that even she as a human could smell.

With Rin less distressed and now reclining comfortably, sipping on warm green tea in between the frequent contractions, Kagome washed her hands obsessively and said a silent prayer to the kami's that all will be well.

The stern, Inu-Youkai maid, she found out was called Satomi assisted her ripping the linen into smaller sheets.

"What do you intend to do girl?"

Kagome's mind froze, uncertain. She looked up at the yellow eyes of the demon before her, "I'll do what I can and I'll do my best I assure you."

Satomi remained silent, clearly unconvinced but a pain gasped from Rin drew both their attention.

"I suppose we were getting nowhere. I pray you'll be successful as both our heads are already endangered by appearing upon Lord Sesshomaru's pikes outside the castle and I for one wish not to die just yet."

'Ditto' was Kagome's silently thought as both she and Satomi approached Rin.


	4. Chapter 4

Ask and you shall recieve! There is no point in me sitting on this chapter when I'm ahead by a few chapters. If you're lucky, i may cintinue to churn them out at this rate! This is to remind you this story is a Kagome and Sesshomaru romance but bear with me, romance takes time and i think it's stupid to make two polar opposites fall in love within seconds. Sesshomaru is acting unusual as the circumstances are unusual and will continue to get worst. But patience will be rewarded as i'm a smut-head and eventuall we'll reach a point the ratings need to change to M...but until then, fasten your seatbeats, keep your hands in the vechicle at all times and enjoy!

The First Margin of Error

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The brush shook in his hand, nails tightly strained as his breath laboured.

Calm broken, he swept the low table clean of all scrolls, inks and writing apparatus as he stared blindly at the wall before him, fighting the beast that raged through him.

Another wail pierced the night and he covered his ears with his hands that still shook.

His eyes screwed shut so tight he didn't see Jaken enter the room, looking very scared but the matter couldn't wait.

When he opened his crimson eyes again, he saw Jaken by his side with scroll.

"The messenger urgent sent this, the north western lands have been invaded." Jaken saw the need to speak quickly and handed the scroll to Sesshomaru once he lowered his hands from his ears.

He watched his lord's hands that rattled the brittle paper. His nails were sharp and lethal, gnarled nearly into claws that so befitted his canine nature.

A snarl escaped his lips as the scroll was scrunched in his grasp before burning away into nothing by the poison within his fingers.

"So he wants a war, this Sesshomaru will bring him a war."

"L..Lord Sesshomaru...your armies are not within marching distance and you're not...not thinking. Lord Rikuto wants to negotiate."

"He won't have one." Sesshomaru stood and was already out the shoji doors, leaving Jaken to stare after his lord who took to the sky in a fiery streak.

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It was sunrise when the lord returned to his homelands, wild-eyed and disarrayed. His clothes streaked in blood of battle where he had not cared about anything, losing control over all semblance of himself to the rage, fear and anger that coursed through his body.

He stalked through the house, his hands tight around the handles of his sword as his audience of servants and soldiers parted before him until he stopped before his mate's sick room.

It was just at that moment he heard a child wail its first breath.

His child.

He could hear Rin's sobs and the maid and the Miko crooning over the baby.

His hands shook, now with the realisation that he had an heir, and he stepped into the room to see Rin smiling weakly at him.

The Miko walked towards him and smiled, "You have a daughter."

His eyes lowered to his mate's arms where he saw a swaddled bundle of cloth and through the scent of tears, blood and the foul stench of bodily fluids was the sweet, innocent and fresh scent of his daughter.

Rin's face beamed with happiness as her eyes stared transfixed at her child.

The hush was pierced by a healthy cry of his pup as he saw a pink arm wave in the air.

His daughter.

The miko reached for the pup as Rin handed her over and took the pup over to be bathed.

There was the tinkling sound of water and a howl of distress as his pup suffered her first bath.

"Lady Rin! Rin!" the maid ran forward just as Rin's eyes rolled upwards and she collapsed against the bed.

There was a heavy stunned, weighted second that seemed to hang itself in the air as Sesshomaru heard Rin's heart gave its last beat then silence.

The maid too heard this and began screaming, shaking Rin by her shoulders.

Kagome frantically searched for a place to lay the screaming baby in her arms, still wet from her bath. She spied a futon cushion and with shaking hands, laid her down, before she ran to Rin and reached a hand to her neck.

Not feeling a pulse, her mind ran into doing CPR, the far off training she had at school came back to her, not giving her time to panic or to look at Sesshomaru who still stood in shock.

She tilted back Rin's head, aware that even now her lips were tinged blue and the life in her wide eyes was gone.

Her mind chanted 'she's dead, she's dead, she's dead...' over and over as she leaned down and exhaled into Rin's death stilled lungs.

She ran her hands down Rin's chest until she found the bottom of her rib cage and began the compressions.

"Wh...what are you doing?" Satomi shrieked as she tried to bat Kagome's hands away from her Lady's body.

"I am trying to save her." Kagome panted but the roar of utter distress from Sesshomaru's mouth made her jump and still her actions.

"You stay away from my mate." He growled, the tempo making the very floors shudder as his eyes swirled crimson.

He stepped forward as she backed off, sweeping down in all his bloodied robes and knelt before his mate.

"Take the brat and leave." He snarled.

The wail of his daughter was grating his nerves as he saw the small demons of death chaining Rin's spirit down to be taken to the afterlife.

He could no longer save her with any sword blade for she was once already saved and Tenseiga wouldn't save her no more.

Satomi was already leaving the room when Kagome felt the terrible throb of a powerful demon's aura. It made her stomach hurl, her skin break out into a cold sweat and fear turned every muscles stiff then boneless and how Kagome got to her feet and ran to the door, she didn't know.

The sound of the crying baby drew her attention and she turned to look down at her, arms failing helplessly as she laid upon the futon where she was put.

Her father's very presence pulsated and his own daughter screamed in response and without thinking, Kagome picked her up and hurried to the corridor where Satomi and several servants stood quivering long with Jaken and a white robed Tai-Youkai woman.

She looked pass Kagome's shoulder, allowing the miko to see her long white hair, blue slash marks upon her cheeks and a familiar blue crescent moon on her brow, which identified her as relative to Sesshomaru.

"Get everyone out of this building and to a safe distance. I will deal with my son." She coolly said, and with a flick of a kimono sleeve as she stood straight, she walked towards the room where an unearthly roar of distress shook the rafters above them, disturbing the dust that rained like filthy snow down.

Jaken screeched out that she was not to be disobeyed but his voice was drowned out by the screams and shouts of the many demon dogs fleeing the building as the roars in the room behind them took to a level of deafening chaos that made the grounds tremble beneath them for miles.

The baby's screams were ignored as Kagome ran out, jostled painfully amongst the tangled sea of bodies that surged in one direction.

She tried her best to shield the new born from careless elbows and flailing hands.

She stopped once the crowd thinned out several hundred yards away from the large house, and turned back to where the sounds of battle raged, when suddenly the house exploded outwards, a shower of wood and debris filling the air with dust.

They all saw two massive white dogs fighting, one was slightly smaller and more dainty which Kagome knew was Sesshomaru's mother, was trying to maintain her mouth over the larger dog's neck, pushing him down to make him submit.

He wouldn't take it, releasing a screech of fury, a pulse of energy echoed through his body and in one motion; he recoiled against his own mother and leapt up into the sky, pulling the female's body with him until they disappeared into the night's sky.

There was an eerie silence as the entire Western kingdom watched the heavens above until they could no long hear their lord's great cry.


	5. Chapter 5

Back with another one, lucky you! Like i said, there is no point in me sitting on a complete chapter. I don't agree with this "holding chapters ransom for reviews" policy!

Anyway, in response to a review...thanks for the effort in leaving me a review but it was a waste of time on your part! if you don't like a story...simple - don't read it! And how can you judge a story by one chapter that wasn't even a full page in length? I already said in the last chapter, I don't do the whole "...and he will fall in love with her. The End." It's a bit more complex especially when you're dealing with an arrogant immortal.

But like i said, thank for the review but make it more productive for me, especially when it comes to grammer and such...be more appreciated!

Oh Well!

Here you go...

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Reigning Cats and Dogs

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The dawn came with the red sun, blotting the pale sky with stained crimson clouds that reminded Kagome of blood.

The baby slept in her arms, asleep.

The servants have left her and the child alone, believing them both to be cursed and wanting nothing to do with them in case their lord returned and wanted them dead. She slept sitting upright against the wall of a small room she claimed and no one had bothered her. She had opened the doors at dawn to stare out at the sky lost in thought.

The only person who dared approach was Jaken who hobbled towards her.

"The princess...is she alright?"

Kagome nodded once, not in the mood to break the silence when her thoughts are troubled.

But Jaken didn't move and she realised that perhaps he was waiting for something.

"You wish to see her?" she finally said.

The imp eyes widened and she had to smile at his awed face as she told him to sit next to her so he could hold her.

She lowered the baby who still slept into his outstretched, small arms and watched the imp hold her so tenderly, the tiny newborn looking ridiculously large in her father's servant's embrace who looked he was struggling to remain composed.

"What's going on?"

Jaken remained silently for a moment, "I do not know. I've never seen Sesshomaru-sama like this. Just before...just before Lady Rin's death, he disappeared into the eastern lands and engaged battle with the Neko youkai. They are the western land's long term enemy stretching back to the dawn of time. They are clever and deceitful; every Inu-Tashio had trouble with them, whatever generation they are from. To enter their lands like Sesshomaru –sama had done is not good and I fear there is a price to pay and it will be high."

"What about her?" Kagome indicated to the baby who sniffled in her sleep but remained asleep.

"She could be killed by her father if he doesn't accept her...he loved Rin very much. And if the Neko-youkai finds her, as the possible heir to the western lands, she will be killed."

"Will her father accept her?"

Both the imp and human exchanged a long look, both of them seeing the tiredness and the worry deep in their eyes and knew they were allies of the same fears.

"I do not know but I won't allow him to be so foolish, I promised his father I will ensure he be safe and thread wisely."

He raised his arms as a sign to take back the baby which she did.

"Shouldn't she have a name?"

Jaken paused in getting up then frowned, "The father is supposed to have done that as soon as she was born, I fear she will be unnamed which is seen as something bad."

"We should name her; I mean we need to look out for her if her father won't."

Jaken remained silent.

Kagome looked down at the baby in her arms who started to awake, wide eyes staring back that were amber in colour.

"Akemi."

"What?"

"Her name will be Akemi."

"You can't just..."

A giggle interrupted the argument and both woman and imp looked down at the baby girl who waved her arms in the air and gave a great, gummy smile.

Jaken sighed, "Akemi it is. But if Sesshomaru-sama hears of this, it's your entire fault! I had nothing to do with it!"

* * *

By dusk there was pandemonium. What started it all was the ground trembled, and even across the distance, the sounds of falling cliffs and uprooted forests drew the guards, soldiers and much of the court out into the evening air where they could see a giant white dog fighting an equally large black cat, poison and fur flying as they locked in a grappled that rolled across the lands.

Kagome ran outside with the others, fearing just what was going on, Akemi now crying wildly in her arms at being disturbed from her feed.

"Neko-Youkai!" came a scream that was cut short as claws silenced the guards.

Black robed Neko-Youkai leapt into the grounds, swiping and clawing their way through any opposition that dared challenged them.

There was a great crash as another great white dog collapsed on its side,it's body bringing down the palace gates with its descent. It was brought down by several large cats that kept their teeth and claws sunk into its flesh even as it shrunk back to its humanoid form.

Through the rubble and dust, Kagome could see the white hair and feminine face of the Inu Tai-youkai's mother that now has been brought down to heel growling, the cats keeping clear of the poison she leaked out of her claws and mouth.

There was a loud snarl before Kagome, bringing her attention back to herself and before her stood what looked to be a large tabby with feral red eyes and mouth drew back into a hiss that revealed white teeth that glistened menacingly in the dusk.

"Sssssurrender!" it hissed.

Kagome remained fixed to her feet, her ears heard every sound, her nose smelt every scent as her legs grew colder and colder with the deepest fear she'd felt in a long time.

Not since Naraku and the final battle has she felt this scared, not knowing what is going on and what she was to do caused her body to stiffen and she had no way of breaking this.

Youkai servants and soldiers either ran screaming or retaliated, quickly overcome in their ill preparation of the sudden and swift attack.

For the first time in the Western history, the palace and its surrounding lands were truly weak, in its absence of their ruler.

The large cat hissed, widening its mouth that was befitting a lion as it moved closer, then a loud roar from her right that grew louder and deeper and suddenly a huge white mass of fur swept the ground before her.

The building on her left exploded, huge segments of wooden walls and screens hurled through the sky that caused her to knock flat onto the hard ground, careful not to let Akemi fall or to get injured.

The white dog of the west was lying on the ground, already his fur turning a scarlet red with his blood and his eyes were turning yellow, a sign he was weakening, something the black cat saw as it stalked towards him.

It shuddered and shrank down to reveal a tall man with long, black hair and bright blue eyes, he held two swords and across his back were another two. The black robe fluttered in the wind to reveal a white shirt beneath it and black hakama.

"Give it up Dog." He called out in a deep voice that pierced the rapidly falling night.

The white dog opened its eyes and stared straight at Kagome then blinked.

It blinked again as the giant body quivered and a whine of pain erupted from its bloodied mouth as it transformed back into Sesshomaru, lying mangled in the rubble on his back.

Before he could move, a sword's tip was poised at his neck and the low command of "Surrender and I will spare all your people."

"Never." Was Sesshomaru's reply accompanied by an attempt to grab the man's sword.

But it was as if all energy and strength has fled him and he blinked as his hand twitched then dropped to the floor.

Kagome struggled to her feet and she could see him better, the white hair upon his head was either grey with dirt or red, one eye was nearly swollen shut and a worrying amount of blood trickled across his startling pale face from an unseen head wound.

The fight had left much of his clothes he wore in rips and rags and they too were black with much blood he was losing.

"I give you my word as a mother that my son will surrender."

The Tai-Youkai's mother stood nearby, surrounded by neko-youkai as her hands and neck were clasped in large, silver manacles that glistened in such a way that Kagome believed them to be magic of a strongest kind.

There was a thud as Sesshomaru collapsed backwards, given into the fight and the darkness that claimed him.

The man in black lowered his sword and knelt by his foe's side, reaching out to press his fingers to Sesshomaru's bare neck.

After a few seconds, he stood up and waved to several youkai nearby, "Chain him and have him looked at. He is to be kept under watch at all times."

"Kuroujou!" came a shout and pushing through a rank of soldiers nearby that had several prisoners in their command; a man emerged armed with a large katana that was fashioned to have a serrated edge like some wicked surgeon's tool.

He stalked towards the other man, a murderous look upon his face as his black hair fluttered behind him.

Only when he stopped before the man did Kagome see the similarity between them and guessed they were related.

"Oniisan?"

"Kill him! He killed father!"

"I will not, there is no honour in killing a man when he is down."

"Then I will do it..."

The taller brother who fought Sesshomaru pulled back the other man and stilled him.

"You will not, there are more adequate ways of bringing about his misery foris that is what you wish to see isn't it?"

The younger brother stared back and hissed, yanking his arms free and stalking off, neko-youkai parting before him in respect.

Kagome watched as several youkai carried the slumped body of Sesshomaru off, his limp limbs and neck already chained in the enchanted manacles.

Kagome felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder and looked over to see a man snarling back at her, "Move it."

He pushed her towards the man called Kuroujou, who had turned and just looked at her, taking in the strange clothes she wore and the even stranger smells that accompanied her. His blue eyes lowered to the brawling baby and he stepped forward until he halted her with a raised hand.

He looked down at the baby then back at her, "Who are you?"

"I..I am Kagome."

Up close, she could see he was a startling beautiful man, something she now believed all tai-youkai to be. The blue eyes held her own as he stared at her, silently commanding her to give up her secrets.

"What are you doing here? You're human aren't you?"

She said nothing, not sure what to say. It was one of those 'damned if you, damned if you don't' moments.

His eyes narrowed as his lips thinned, the black robe snapped in the wind as it fluttered, she could see his shoulder was bleeding, blood seeping through his robes in a dark, sticky mass. His knuckles were too grazed and although he was healing with his youkai strength, it was at a slow rate for she could see upon his pale skin there was numerous cuts and mottled bruises that were very slowly receding back into the perfect skin it once was.

"I don't know who you are or what a human is doing in the western lands but I know I'm not to take any chances. Have her chained and kept with the lady."

"And the baby?" the youkai behind her growled, she could smell the tang of blood on his breath.

"She may keep it with her."

She was pushed from behind and she stumbled forward, taking the hint to walk forward towards the elegant Tai-Youkai woman who stood in chains, face impassive as gold eyes glistened, watching all those near her.

The golden eyes settled on her and she saw for herself the origin of Sesshomaru's cold-hearted stare, and knew like all dogs that once they were free of the chains that bound them, they would attack like the beast they were.

It was just that something she saw in those depths and as if she read Kagome's thoughts, the Tai-youkai's mother's lips quirked into what were the beginnings of a smile.

If wish be, I can explain next time what Kuroujou means...or you can google it and see what you think it is!


	6. Chapter 6

Hi, back again!

Just a few things of note, im aware that last chapter and this one will not clear up how come the west fell so quickly to the neko but that is part of the story. That is for the main characters to figure out for themselves and work out the foul play going on. There is always someone bigger and badder than you, and Sesshomaru may be poweful but even he has weaknesses and the death of his mate certainly doesn't help. There will be clues regarding future twists from now on in if you look hard enough.

Kagome may be a poweful preistess but just because you have a weapon, doesnt mean you use it. I think from her actions in both the anime and maga, she uses her powers reluctantly and its never something she uses without thinking. I think deep down inside, she knew she couldnt purify if she had a demon baby in her arms.

Hope you will enjoy and onwards!

* * *

How to kick a Dog when he's down.

***********************************************************

A night has passed and the day was too overcast to tell from the sun's position just what time it could be. Kagome with many female youkai and children were residing in a dojo hall stripped bare of all weapons and anything that could yielded as such. Many of them wore chains around their ankles and wrists which allowed for limited movement. It seemed the neko were taking no chance, the rooms were patrolled regularly and food was served in limited portions.

Pride seemed to put many of the Inus' off their appetite which meant much of the food sat in the bowls, cold and congealed. The women sat talking on the floors, the occasional growl or heated look belied their anger and perhaps anxiety. Even the pups and the youngsters sat watching their mothers with wide eyes; play was the last thing that occupied their thoughts.

Rumours were that during the night several male Inus' has tried to escape but were quickly subdued and somewhere in the dark came the sounds of torture.

The dojo doors slid open and several guards walked pass the hall into a side room where Kagome knew Sesshomaru's mother was kept under guard. She watched the proud Youkai leave the room, face impassive and eyes stared straight ahead as her subjects bent their heads in respect as she passed.

A guard stepped forward and ushered several other women to stand and they too followed.

Kagome remained still; Akemi was asleep in someone's arm, a friendly woman who recognised the human woman struggling to subdue the crying infant and offered to help.

Two guards muttered and one of them walked towards Kagome then stopped before her, he snapped his fingers and gestured her to get up which she did, following the line of guards and prisoners out of the dojo and cross the gardens to the largest building in the palace grounds. Its elaborate facade was something she couldn't admire past the dread in her stomach and the numerous guards watching the line with cold eyes and tightened knuckles on the hilts of their weapons.

By the time she entered the hall, most of her fellow captives were kneeling, eyes front and backs rigid as they watched the man seated there.

Kuroujou.

Besides him stood the man Kagome knew was his brother and next to him stood a woman clad in typical male attire, all trace of femininity suppressed as she tried to blend in with her male counterparts.

Kagome knelt down, clenching her hands to try and stop them shaking, nerves getting the better of her as the scene unfolded before her.

The floor felt cold through her jeans, rumpled and slept in and in the back of her mind, she'd do anything to freshen up and have a shower.

The silence in the room, despite the many people that occupy it was heavy, even without youkai hearing, Kagome could hear the faint murmur of voices in another room, the soft patter of tabi-socked feet and the rattle of weapons in their scabbards.

Kuroujou nodded at someone behind her and she heard the smooth glide of the wooden shoji doors open.

She watched as several guards entered and spread themselves around the room, tense and alert and she knew why when she heard the rattle of chains as two soldiers dragged something in.

Sesshomaru.

They were taking no chances despite the tai-youkai being in no fit state to fight.

His head was slumped forward onto his chest, he barely looked conscious as his knees scraped across the floor where they carelessly dragged him.

Someone had clothed him in clothing that seen better days, a dark, dusty blue that befitted a servant and where his flesh was exposed, she could see wounds of various natures. They had clearly tortured him and he was now being dragged out before his people to see.

The guards stopped and let go of him, his body toppled forward but he managed to stop himself, his chained hands before him bracing himself.

His muscles shook, causing the links of his chains to jangle as he slowly lifted his head up to regard his enemy. White hair hanging in limp, dirty strands that curtain his face from her view.

The man who was Kuroujou only stared, his eyes narrowed and he straightened up in his seat as if he was about to talk but his brother stepped forward.

He stalked forward with the feline grace that was his blood and without warning, he brought his knee up which connected with under Sesshomaru's jaw, hurling him back to slam on the wooden floor, making no sounds at all.

Kagome couldn't see Sesshomaru's face since someone was kneeling in the way but Kuroujou was standing besides his brother and pulled him off.

"Leave him be..."

"No! He killed father! Don't you remember that?"

The younger brother tried to wrestle out of his sibling's grasp but Kuroujou hissed and the sound stilled all actions.

"Brothers, we got more pressing things to deal with than fight." The woman who stood besides the empty chair hissed, Kagome could see the tips of her fangs glisten in the light and her eyes glowed with agitation.

Kagome moved her head and saw Sesshomaru slowly raise his face up at Kurojou who knelt down before him. Kagome could see his bruised face, swollen jaw and bleeding lip where a thin trickle of blood dripped down his chin.

And yet his eyes remained bright yellow, stubborn and unyielding despite his body threatening to collapse on himself.

Around his neck was another chain and this one glowed, seeming to sap energy from the tai-youkai lord which explained his docile manner.

"You came into our lands, ignoring our father's peace treaty and you killed him. What say you?"

Sesshomaru opened his mouth and a rasp was all they heard. Kurojou frowned and reached forward, his fingers loosened the chain around his neck.

"Your father was in my lands along with your brother. They had no reason to be there."

"Liar! Who are you to believe? A dog who is trying to cover his tracks or the proof we all see that is our father's body!" The brother hissed.

"Sugoihi!" Kurojou snapped. His eyes sharpened as he stared at Sesshomaru.

"I understand you have lost your mate during child birth and your grief is what I assume fuelled you to react in this manner."

Sesshomaru made no sound.

"You killed our father and the treaty we had is now null by your actions. You were careless Sesshomaru. Your armies were not here to protect your very kingdom. This lady I presume is your mother?"

Kurojou pointed to the white robed Lady of the West who knelt to one side alone, rigid and immoveable like her own son.

"I don't need your words to confirm it. What I want to know is where your heir is."

"The child died along with its mother." The Lady spoke, voice cold and calm.

"You're telling me the child is dead?"

She nodded, "My son wished not to see the body and ordered it burned for he believed it to be a curse that struck him and took his mate."

"You are a curiosity Sesshomaru, you love a human yet it is widely known you condemn the human race as a weaker species. There is a human in this room as we speak. She is a strange being and I don't trust her reasons being here. "

Kuroujou looked at the Lady who spoke, "She was a woman from the nearby village bought here since my son's mate is human. We thought perhaps she would know about such matters."

"Why is she clad in strange clothes?"

"She is...unique."

Kagome shrank under their eyes as she tried to remain still, heart pounding as they talked of her.

"Things are not what they seem Kurojou..." Sesshomaru hissed, the chain throbbed, its magic sucking him preventing any healing.

"Being in the position I'm in now, I don't trust anyone..."

"Kurojou."

A woman's interrupted and Kagome saw a neko youkai standing at the back of the room. She was garbed in white, the colour of death as she walked forward, and stopped before Sesshomaru and her son.

"He killed my mate, he is a cold, vindictive and evil youkai who is narrow minded in his opinions and whose pride governs his actions. Death is too good for the likes of him. He deserves to suffer in a manner unique only to him. He shall die defenceless and weak like some lowly animal he is born to be. He will be stripped of all lands and honour he held, they belong to us now. I truly pity you for what you are about to come."

"Reidou?" Kurojou spoke but his mother waved her hand to silence him.

She held out a hand before Sesshomaru who stared at her, and kagome felt an eerie form of magic escalate in the room until it gathered in the neko woman's outstretched palm and all of a sudden it zapped itself into Sesshomaru sending the Tai-Youkai back on his back.

An earthly scream shook the room, as all eyes watched the Western Lord twist on his back, face contorted with pain. His hair went black as night, the claws that scratched at the wooden floor shrunk back into blunt finger nails. The fangs in his open mouth disappeared and the markings upon his face faded until there was no trace.

The youkai around him stirred in distress, some cried, others tried to rise to their feet but guards forced them to remain still and watch Sesshoamru grappling with himself on the floor, the snarls of a beast reduced to the whimpers of a man.

Until he collapsed on his side, limbs limp and breath erratic with fear.

Kagome knew she was shaking, shaking in fear of the magic she felt and the youkai those were giving off around her.

"He's...human?" Kurojou finally spoke as the human before them laid on his side unconscious.

"Take him out to the wild and leave him, he won't survive. He is doomed to wander these lands until the end of time." the woman spoke as she lowered her arm.

Two guards stepped forward and they lifted him up, his body dragged boneless as his black hair covered his face.

Even Sesshomaru's mother looked shocked, eyes wide as she watched her only son disappear from view.

"Take the prisoners back to their rooms." Kurojou instructed and the guards impatiently ushered them to rise and turn to exit the hall.

The last Kagome saw of Sesshomaru was his human hands being bound.

His eyes opened and she could see they were no longer golden yellow. They were brown, exhausted, pained and weary.

And they stared at her like a defeated, cornered dog he was.

* * *

The sun was set when Kagome was disturbed. She was taking a nap as someone looked after Akemi and fed her some gruel that was served up and taken with great reluctance.

The women watched her go, their canine eyes illuminated in the pale candle light like spectres as they silently watched her being ushered to a small room adjoining the hall. The light was brighter here, and in the middle sat Sesshomaru's mother, somewhat retaining her dignified elegance despite the current situation and the hastily stripped store room which was now her palace.

"Come, we haven't much time." She spoke quietly.

"What is going on" Kagome looked at the few women who stood to one side, the silent spectators in this strange conversation.

The door opened again behind her and she saw the woman who was looking after Akemi whilst she slept hurry towards her with the baby in her arms.

"Take her. You'll be taking her with you. You're her only hope of survival. Even now the nekos' are talking of killing all infants to rid Sesshomaru's heir."

"What?" Kagome felt all air collapse out of her lungs as her arms were forcible positioned by a servant to take Akemi who started to whine, disturbed from her sleep.

"A diversion will be created and Jaken will escort you to Lord Sesshomaru. You're a miko and only you can stand a chance of protecting yourself against the neko. You are responsible for my son's life. He is weak and vulnerable. Keep him safe, the lands of the West are in your hands tonight for you are now the caretaker of the Inu Tai-youkai clan."

There was a rap on wood, and two maids hurried forward and pulled aside a mat then opened a small trapdoor. From the dark void below emerged Jaken's face, taunt and serious as his wide yellow eyes settled on his lord's mother then bobbed his head.

"He is safe for the moment. The path ahead is clear. We haven't much time though."

_This can't be happening...this....I want to go home....I was home and now I'm stuck here...._

"Take this..." the lady stepped forward and took a pouch on a long piece of string from a maid's outreached hands, "This is some money, make it last. Sesshomaru should know of a few contacts if ever any troubles arise."

Seeing the fear in her eyes, the Lady's face fell away just the bit, enough to allow the human girl to see the fear in her eyes too. That as a woman she was holding out hope that the human before her would protect her only son.

"Take this with you. This is something Sesshomaru will need." She reached from around her neck to pull off a necklace with an amulet on, silver with a design of the crescent moon. She placed this over Kagome's head and stepped back.

"Keep them safe miko."

The maids handed Kagome a bag, presumably full of essentials and helped her wrap a cloak around her shoulders, allowing the Lady to touch her granddaughter's cheek one last time.

"Hurry!" Jaken squawked.

Kagome hurried over to the trap door and saw in the gloom, loomed several wooden steps that descended into the darkness below.

"The fire's been started my lady." A voice spoke as the trapdoor above Kagome closed, shutting her off from the only source of light that showed where she was going.

In her arms, Akemi cooed, starting to become distressed from the jostling around.

"Jaken...I can't see." She whispered, remaining still on the step, not sure to move since she didn't want to fall.

She could hear the floorboards above her creak and groan and the faint thud of footsteps as people stirred above her with the faint cry of "fire!"

Somewhere in the dark came an impatient sigh, followed by the sudden glow that filled the dark, revealing the shadowy hollow between the floor and the tunnel before them.

The glow came from the staff Jaken always carried with him and he was hobbling down the tunnel at a speed that was quickly leaving Kagome in the dark again.

"This tunnel takes us out to the city walls; we still have some way before we are out of the city and safe. The fire will be a distraction, buying us time we need." Jaken's thin voice echoed off the wet tunnel walls, the smell of damp earth and wet rocks was pungent as they hurried along the trail, their footsteps and the occasion wail from Akemi piercing the silence.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, they knew the diversion of the deliberately started fire in the main hall had done its task. Though the walls and the gates were heavily guarded, the neko soldiers were distracted, watching the orange flames and the black smoke coil up into the sky.

Pulling the cloak lower over her face, Kagome to one last chance to check on Akemi who was a wake but had the good grace to stay quiet, as if she knew she was needed to do so.

They waited for the opportune moment to present it-self and it did, when the soldiers were ordered to aid the mission to put the fire out. They waited for a long, few seconds then both human and toad youkai ran across the dirt courtyard to the gate and crept out in the night shadows, silently praying that whatever the guards were watching would last long enough to distract them until they were safely away.

It wasn't until they stopped running in the deep forest thicket did they finally breathed.

"Thank the gods the neko are not adept in the sense of smell. We could have been apprehended far sooner." Jaken wheezed and Kagome shifted the baby from arm to the other, trying to sooth her grizzling cries.

They walked on for a bit, carefully in the black night until Jaken felt they were far in from the edge of the trees and lit up his staff to provide light for Kagome.

"I have managed to find and get Sesshomaru to a cave not far from here. It was the best I could do under the circumstances. We need to be extra vigilance as several neko had taken chase after us, determined to hunt him down like some prey."

Jaken continued his mumblings long into the walk until he stopped and hastily looked around then lead her to a tree where she could see its roots had grown through the rock and prised it apart. There to one side, nothing more seeming than a shadow was the slit that was the mouth to the cave.

Jaken climbed in first and waited for Kagome to fit herself in sideways them straightened out. Once you got past the narrow entrance, the cave widened into a reasonable size and it was cool but not cold.

Kagome watched Jaken pull a piece of cloth over the entrance and muttered a charm, some kind of weak magic to help disguise the cave and its inhabitant.

Once he was satisfied, he walked to the middle of the cave and stabbed his staff into the ground, the light growing brighter as it stood upright unaided until it produced enough light to brighten the cave.

It was one of the first things she saw, the pallet of fur at the back of the cave where the roof was at its lowest.

And over the crunch of her feet walking on the loose cave floor, she could hear the terrible wheeze of someone in pain.

"Lord Sesshomaru is...well, see for yourself." Jaken gestured helplessly.

They exchanged Akemi to Jaken who sat on the floor, carefully trying not to topple back under Akemi's large body despite being over a day old.

Feeling nerves jangle through her body as well as the coils of dread and exhaustion sitting low in her stomach, she cautiously approached to where she could now see a lump under the mound of pelts and a bloody hand lying limping before her, humane finger curled upwards like the legs of a dead spider.

She knelt down and held out a hand to carefully peel back the pelt she knew was covering Sesshomaru and despite seeing him for herself in the hall, the shock of his transformation as well as his numerous injuries was still there.

His white hair was white no more, it was black as his white skin looked hollowed and deathly, slick with sweat.

The markings upon his face was gone except the faintest hue of red remained where the crimson slashes upon his cheeks once were. His fingers clenched as he contorted with pain, claws now gone to be left with human fingertips.

She reached out and touched his cheek, feeling the heat that lay within his flesh.

He groaned a sound that was pained and rolled his head away.

The great Inu-Youkai Lord of the West was reduced to this, a mortal man lying in the dust of some animal cave, miles from his homeland and in a bad way.

Kagome shrugged out of her cloak and rolled it up, she lifted his head and pushing it underneath then laid him back down.

Mind overtaken with concern, she reached out and brushed his hair back from his face then checked his pulse which was racing.

His eyes fluttered but never opened as his lips parted to suck in air, rasping as he breathed.

She looked upon his side of his face that lie away from her and saw there were masses of bloody scratches.

She winced in sympathy and carefully turned his head towards her to get a better look and noticed his elvin ears had shrunk to now look like normal human ones.

She touched his clothes and felt them damp with sweat and decided he needs to cool down urgently if this fever took hold on him further.

She reached out and with hesitant fingers, and gingerly undid his kimono trying to ignore the fact she was undressing Inuyasha's unconscious brother and he would normally have a thing to say or two if he was aware of what was going on.

She pulled it off him, lifting his limp arms to pull them out yet left the kimono under him for he was too heavy to move.

"Wha...What are you doing? You don't go undressing the lord!" Jaken screeched.

"Such frivolities are ended when he became human. It seems his body is undergoing much change and all we can do is make him comfortable."

"That still doesn't mean you undress him when he is at your mercy!"

"Jaken, I'm not taken advantage. He needs to cool down or he'll have a fever that will kill him."

Not convinced, Jaken shuffled forward as best he can with Akemi in his lap until he had a good view over Kagome as she torn a piece of her sleeve off her jumper and rummaged through the bag given to her. She knew there must be some water skins inside since she heard water sloshing when she was carrying it. She unscrewed one and poured some water onto the jumper scrap then used it to bathe Sesshomaru, carefully washing away the blood that spotted his pale skin and then soaked it, leaving it over his forehead to keep him cool. He made no sound or movement and slept on, his chest moving up and down erratically with every breath.

The honed muscles of his body flex with each motion, ridges on his abdomen danced in the shadows of the dim light as his navel was a deep shadow.

She noted there were faint rose marking upon his hips where they would have matched the slashes upon his face but they were growing fainter and she knew they would eventually disappear.

His arms were well formed and roped with muscles, each carded together with its neighbour so sleekly he looked divine.

There was no denying that the aristocratic assassin was the finest specimen of masculine beauty she'd ever known.

But that very thought was useless right now and she returned her attention to his injuries that needed to be treated.

Sesshomaru's broken breath was the only sound in the cave as Kagome went through the bag and pulled out a swaddled pack she identified as a first aid kit of some kind.

Jaken confirmed it so; telling her what was in each little metal pot and its purpose. The foul black paste that smelt strongly of fermented herbs was used for the deeper of cuts, having a stronger antiseptic property that made Sesshomaru hiss in his unconscious state when she applied it carefully over the deep claw marks that ripped their way down his right pectoral muscles to his hips. She bound his feet, where they been cruelly stamped on and burnt and add a generous dollop of the stuff to his left temple and his upper arms. There was moss, a natural padding she held in place with strips of bleached linen, forcing her hands underneath Sessomaru's body when she tried to properly tie it in place.

Jaken instructed her on how much green powder she was to mix with water and she managed to make most of it go down Sesshomaru's throat, when she got his head in a good position to do so.

His shivers, wheezing and grunts of pain quietened until he was deep asleep.

Kagome washed his hair line free of much dirt and grime she could and cleaned the cuts upon his face, taking extra care on his split lip, darkly bruised jaw and eyes and a nasty cut down his left cheek.

Using a small blanket she dried his hair carefully, rubbing it vigorously to prevent him from getting the chills and with a final flourish of her matronly duties, she covered him in another, larger blanket then knelt back, hissing in pain that burned in her lower back from being hunched over for so long.

She looked around and saw Jaken's chin drooped down into his chest and a small whistling snore was a clear sign he's fallen asleep on his vigil to prevent his lord from being inappropriately molested by a mere human girl.

Akemi was asleep too, and sensing both demon and baby needed to be more comfortable, Kagome puffed up a pelt and fashioned it into a small cocoon before reaching out and taking her from Jaken's limp grasp and wrapping her up. The toad grumbled and blearily looked at her before nodding at her instruction to sleep, curling up at Akemi's side.

Kagome wearily looked around in the room of the cave and saw nothing else to do apart from sleep and she did, taking a discarded pelt and a blanket from the bag and laid out near Sesshomaru's feet and within easy reach of Akemi should she cry.

The fuzzy blackness of exhaustion was quick to claim her before she could even think of the day's strange events and the fact she was years away from home.


	7. Chapter 7

Another chappie for you, i have now caught up with what i have written so far so updates may be a little slow in coming but they will come!

This is to remind you this story is M rated...it may not be rated for this chapter or the next few chappies but it will get M-rated in contents!(sex, gore, adult language/situation)

i know this is progressing slowly but i wanted to impart the senseof delay and slow passing time since they are now trapped by Sessy's injuries and the seriousness of the situation.

Enjoyyyyy!

* * *

Shut away from the World.

* * *

The light of day dimly lit the small cavern which was what woke Kagome.

Jaken was still rasping in the corner, his beak-like nose emitting a shrill note every odd breath.

She blinked, and slowly stared at the dirt floor until movement caught her attention.

A pale arm lifted itself of his sickbed and picked up the still damp rag on his forehead, confusion upon his face as he stared at it.

"Sesshomaru?" she whispered, not wishing to surprise him.

His brown eyes flicked to her, silently demanding.

"Sesshomaru, you're safe. Jaken had led me to you; you were in a bad way last night. How do you feel?"

He said nothing.

In the dim light, he looked more human than he was aware, the only thing that marked him out was the faint marks of his facial markings that were about to fade completely.

His skin was still pale however there was more colour, he looked flushed with the strains of fever that still remained and his face as much as it remained impassive, there was a faint grimace of pain when he tried to lift himself but failed.

"You're too weak. Don't try to move." Kagome shuffled over to him, ignoring the cramped muscles that stung with pain as blood rushed back into them.

She reached a hand out to touch his forehead and felt it was cool and decided it was now best for him to remain warm. She dragged his blanket over to him and laid it down upon him.

"Miko..." was all he murmured as he watched her, his eyes dark with exhaustion and alight with confusion fluttered to close, and his face relaxed once more.

He knew who she was.

* * *

It was two more days later Sesshomaru stirred, sleep was heavy upon him and every once in a while he stirred, Rin's name a whisper upon his breath.

The fever in his body broke down overnight but his wounds were far from healed. Even in his unconscious state, he would hiss in pain whenever Kagome changed his dressings.

The faint hue of his markings were now gone to leave pale, flawless skin that made him now completely human, his body ever forgotten its once power youkai state.

Akemi howled, whilst her father slept, she was inconsolable. Something Jaken said, she could sense as her parents as he knew were now gone from this world.

Jaken was at his wits end with Akemi, forever feeding, changing and soothing her took its toll on the frazzled demon and he took off when Kagome suggested they need fresh water and if he could find some, some fresh food.

Akemi finally exhausted herself when Jaken returned with a skinned rabbit and a bulging water skin and Kagome left her asleep in her fur blanket and started a small fire near the mouth of the cave and proceeded to cook the meal.

Words were few, Jaken and Kagome despite having much in mind, there was no way they could speak. It was as if shock still hung over them and the situation said much as it was already.

The was a gasp that echoed in back of the cave and in the dim orange light of the fire, both Jaken and Kagome looked to see Sesshomaru awake, half sitting up as if he had jerked forward in his sleep.

His wide brown eyes narrowed at them then glanced around.

"Sesshomaru-sam?" Jaken uttered, rising to his feet but made no further move.

The lord blinked at them, his confusion apparent as he took in the dim interior of the cave and his current position.

His bound hands, wrapped tightly in the last of the clean bandages caught his attention and he tried to flex them but a hiss escaped his mouth and he stared morbidly as blood slowly spread across his palm where he re-opened a wound.

Both Kagome and Jaken exchanged a look but said nothing.

They watched him look past his wrists then to his bandaged wrapped torso and after he had taken account of himself, he finally looked at the other inhabitants.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome spoke, his brown eyes blinked in a manner that was slow and reluctant. That he didn't want to wake to find himself like this. That he didn't want to accept the truth.

"This Sesshomaru is...human." he spoke; his voice has lost the rumbling depths to it, its source of power gone.

"That you are." Jaken spoke just to acknowledge him.

"I'm just cooking some food here, when the meat is soft enough I will give you some." Kagome spoke, rattling the meat that is on a wooden skewer and portioning half of it off into a small pot that once held all the bandages until Kagome ran supplies low.

The meat was added with water and some wild horseradish and set on a hot stone to cook until it was a broth to feed both Sesshomaru and Akemi.

Sesshomaru leant to one side, the cave wall bracing him as he closed his eyes. The firelight made the sweat on his skin shine, and the shadows under his eyes all the more darker. Exhausted Sesshomaru sat there, furs and blankets laid forgotten at his waist, occasionally an idle hand would run over the numerous bandages upon his body and a faint murmur would escape his lips, talking to himself in a voice so low that even Jaken couldn't hear him.

Kagome served up a small portion of the broth and walked over to him, she saw his arms shake and in the orange flame light she could see his pale skin goose pimpled.

"You need to wrap up warm, You're cold."

"Th...this Sesshomaru...doesn't.....f...feel...t..t..the cold." His chattered response was enough to make her reach out and pull up the blankets around his shoulder, ignoring his slurred protestations and the weak attempts to wave her off.

Jaken moved away from feeding Akemi who gurgled happily propped up on her small fur pillow to look at Sesshomaru, watching how his teeth chattered, how his black hair hung in damp, sweaty strands, how his body, his now feeble and weak body shuddered with the wracks of the cold.

"I think he may be going into shock. His body is shutting down to survive. We need to get him warmer."

"Build another fire?" Jaken suggested but Kagome shook her head, "The smoke would overwhelm us, I'll get him closer to the fire and you bring the bedding."

Jaken didn't have time to object if he wanted to for kagome already had braced herself under Sesshomaru's shoulder, dragging his weak body upwards.

"Argh!"

The sound was harsh and abrupt from Sesshomaru's lips as his hand on her shoulder painfully dug into her skin.

"What are you doing to him?!" Jaken snapped shrilly to dance at Kagome's feet.

"The wounds...on his feet! He's in pain....we're...nearly there!" she huffed out as her body buckled under Sesshomaru's weight.

He groaned again as they progressed laboriously closer to the fire.

Jaken hurried to settle the blankets by the fire as Kagome lowered Sesshomaru until her strength gave out and they both toppled down to the ground.

She landed with a sting of pain from her lip, her chin hitting his shoulder causing her to bit herself as she felt his hot, sweat dewed skin that seemed to burn through her clothing.

She rolled off him to stare at the rock ceiling, seeing how the light dappled in a dance with the shadows that always lingered inside their little cave even in day time.

It was their small world of eternal night.

She rolled her head to one side to see Sesshomaru's face, eyes closed as he laboured every breath he breathed.

Jaken was pulling the furs closer to his lord's mortal body, the duty of care not ever failing him even now, his orange eyes rose to look at her face and his beak opened, "His bandages on his feet are soaked with blood."

"I'll change them."

He said nothing and silently watched her..."No....I'll do it. I have seen you enough to know what to do.....you foolish girl, you need to sleep."

"Sure?" her voice whispered out into the stillness of the cave.

Her eyes were open long enough to see Jaken's shadowy figure nod once before exhaustion passed over her.


	8. Chapter 8

here you go! another chappy and enjoy! Hope it is to your standard and a bit longer to boot. I apologise for the previous short chapters but i dont believe on sitting on chappys and i was happy to present them as they were.

I think this chapter will get some reactions out of you readers but hopefully all good.

I'd like to express my suprise and shock at the feedback and reviews for my one-shot "Bombs" which features Sess/Kag, it was a nice and personal story to write and im pleased to see the positive reaction to it. i think it was an one off fluke and as much as i would like to write another one, i think this will be never repeated. Just wish my writing was always like this!

any questions hrown to me regarding this chapter i will answer in the next one.

Peace!

* * *

Osamu

* * *

The gold coins glistened in the fire light that seemed to eternally burn in the heart of the cave. Despite it being early autumn, there has been more frost on the ground in the mornings.

Their breaths could be seen in the first and last light of day as the cold swept across the land. They were stranded in a way; Sesshomaru's slow healing wounds have forced them to remain at the cave for roughly nine days.

There was the constant ache of hunger in Kagome's stomach and even Jaken had admitted to feeling rather starved.

Akemi was frighteningly quiet, they knew the baby girl was getting weaker and they had to move soon.

Sesshomaru had made no attempts to acknowledge his daughter, preferring to sit against the wall of the cave swaddled in the blankets and furs Jaken and Kagome so rigorously checked were in place, and stare at either the fire or towards the cave's opening where the day light shone through the canvas door Jaken had erected.

He had taken no food or water and was already looking starved. He was like a white shadow that barely lived or breathed in the dark interior of their home.

Jaken recounted the coins that were given to her at her hasty departure from the western palace. Between the pair of them, they have decided to push to the nearest town that was a good few hours away by foot.

"We have ample amount for lodgings for a little while but we best spread the amount to last." Jaken looked up from his final count and began raking the coins back into their pouches.

"Spilt the money into two pouches Jaken. You and I will carry half each in case something happens."

The toad youkai eyed her for a while then decided that arguing would get nowhere and began the process of splitting the money.

Dawn that morning has been the coldest on so far and Jaken made sure that he laid out a good few snares more than normal to ensure they had a greater chance to fill their bellies. Instead of the usual one rabbit or the occasional pheasant, they had three rabbits and one water skin held the contents of rabbit stew for the journey.

Akemi shuddered as she bravely endured her nappy change and squealed once when Kagome wrapped her tightly in a thick blanket and a sling fashioned from the last remains of bandage material.

Sesshomaru was ready to go, they had fashioned for him a crude pair of fur boots that consisted of ripped up pieces of fur blankets tied and swaddled in place with ripped fabric from a damaged shirt.

Jaken lifted their bag of their meagre belongings as Kagome patted Akemi to fit more snugly in the kimono and wrap she wore. She wordlessly reached both hands under one of Sesshomaru's arm pits and pulled him to his feet, ignoring the hiss of pain from his mouth.

Seeing how tender his lord's feet still were as they shuffled to the cave's mouth, Jaken waddled to his lord's side and held up his staff silently.

Sesshomaru inaudibly took it and shifted his weight from Kagome's shoulder and wobbled cautiously or a moment then shuffled forward looking like a man bent under the weight of the world...which wasn't far from the truth.

* * *

The road was a long one and the sun was setting and the lamps in the streets were being lit by the time they arrived in town. Jaken has taken to hiding in the very bag he was carrying for most of the journey and that bag was carried by Kagome who carefully made sure not to knock it...very hard that was. Despite having the rare appearance of being in possession of a heart of gold, Jaken had the mouth of a fish wife who wouldn't shut up complaining along the journey.

Sesshomaru as predicted said nothing, only stopping his slow and somewhat hypnotised pace when Kagome pulled his sleeve as she found a reasonable looking inn.

They trudged in wearily as the lady of the inn shuffled forward and enquired what they were after and then how many days they wished to stay. She rolled her eyes over the young family before her, oohed over the baby before issuing a warning that if Akemi was too noisy she would kick them out.

Kagome handed over enough payment for two night's bed and board and the lady smiled a black gummed smile that reeked of tobacco and opium and showed them to their room.

As soon as the shoji doors slid closed, Akemi made it known she was hungry and was not going to tolerate being ignored or molly-cuddled any more.

Lowering the bag to the floor then undoing the sling that held Akemi, Kagome sat crossed legged and proceeded to change her whilst Sesshomaru slowly shuffled in and seated himself, arms collapsed by his side as he made no attempts to relax and giving the impression of a puppet severed by its strings.

Jaken raised his head out of the bag but ducked back in when there was a knock and the door slid open to reveal the same lady with the same black-gummed smile sliding a large tray across the floor with hot food upon it.

"Is there any milk or gruel for this baby?" Kagome asked the lady who smiled even wider, "There is a wet nurse in my kitchens who will let your baby suckle for a fee."

Deciding the option was better than none Kagome smiled and opened her purse and slid a gold coin across the mat. "Make it so that the baby gets fed for the rest of our stay."

The lady bowed her head as her aged hand slid out and took the coin, "I have taken the liberty to provide you with some yukatas for bathing since you carry so little with you. There is a both sex bathing room down the hall if you wish to go with your husband."

She slide forward another tray with the clothing upon it and bowed once more, "I will have the wet nurse come by."

The door slid shut and Kagome sighed. She reached out and popped a dumpling in her mouth and made a sound of ecstasy as Akemi grizzled in hunger.

"After Akemi is taken care of, I think it is best you went to bathe and then rest." She spoke to Sesshomaru who's stillness was grated on her patience yet she knew she couldn't prod him, she suspected he was deep in shock.

His eyes fluttered in weariness as they lifted from the floor to regard her for the moment then slid back to whatever he was staring at.

She sighed once again then tutted as Akemi kicked out in her tantrum.

The bag jostled beside her angrily as Jaken tried to fight his way out but another knock on the door and the arrival of the wet nurse allowed Kagome to hand over Akemi with firm warnings to keep the baby safe and to return her soon within the next hour.

Finally alone with no disturbance Jaken rolled out the bag and seated himself by the food tray before Kagome could object.

Kagome rolled her eyes and ate some food until her raging hunger was sated enough that she turned to Sesshomaru and began removing his travel yukata, dusty and stained with the wear of the road. She knelt before him and checked the majority of his bandaged wounds before unwrapping them all apart from the ones on his feet and covered him lightly with one of the yukatas the woman provided.

She poured a small cup of tea and held it out for him to take and when he didn't, she forcibly took his hand and wrapped it around it and raised his hand to his lips.

"You will drink Sesshomaru. If you want to live to fight for yourself, your daughter and your lands, you will drink." She hissed, perhaps some anger will fuel him.

There was a faint spark in his brown eyes and she felt his hand twitch under her hold and she let go, watching him slowly lift the cup to his lips and sipped.

"Eat." She pushed a plate with dumplings towards him and watched him slowly eat two and finish his drink before finishing.

"Well it's a start. I need to quickly change then I'll take us down to the baths."

She found a small screen in the far corner that was a little dusty, a testament to its lack of use and folded it out before undressing and putting on the bathing yukata. She emerged around the screen and told Jaken to be alert and ready to hide if in case someone comes into the room.

"Kagome?" Jaken's thin, reedy voice made her stop fussing around Sesshomaru and look up.

"Lord Sesshomaru cannot keep using his name around here no more." The imp said simply, his voice low as his eyes flicked to the door, checking there was no strangers listening in.

Kagome nodded and frowned, knowing he was correct.

There was a long silence as the three...well two of them pondered a name as Sesshomaru continued staring at the floor.

"Fine, his name will be Osamu." Jaken decided. At Kagome's curious tilt of the head, he answered, "It was his childhood name."

"Right, come on Osamu, let us go bathe." Kagome declared, carefully pulling the ex-ruler, currently homeless and rather subdued Tai-youkai to his feet and painfully hobbled out the room, bandaged feet shuffling slowly.

Their progress was slow as they moved down the dimly lit corrioddors. Behind the thick wooden doors came the laughter, singing, talking, snoring and groaning voices of the inn's inhabitants. Occasionally a maid would bustle pass them with laden trays, the aromas of freshly cooked dumplings made Kagome's mouth water since she hasn't eaten much of the food delivered to them back in their room.

The onsen was dimly lit and the small alcove was empty where the bathers were required to wash themselves before bathing. The rich tang of the mineral water of the hot spring was heavy in the air and the faint murmur of two women chatting in the onsen's pool was faint. Other than them, they were alone and Kagome guided Osamu to sit himself on a small stool before she dunked the small bucket into a small pool and poured it over his head, the warm water making his black hair as slick as oil.

By the third bucket he closed his eyes and tilted his head up, a clear sign that the refreshing water was much welcomed after lying ill in his sweat-loaded clothes for days. She made him wash his hair with some soapy oil that smelt faintly of herbs as she knelt down to remove the bandages on his feet. She carefully washed them, ignoring how his toes curled in pain and the hissed breath as another load of water washed away old blood.

The cotton yukata he wore was now opaque but the dim lighting didn't reveal much and tiredness made Kagome's normal mannerisms sluggish as she told him to rinse his own hair as she prepped herself for the onsen.

She led him to the edge of the onsen pool, hair wet and shiny clean.

Osamu sat himself down on the edge after Kagome entered the pool keeping her Yukata on. She held out her arms and helped him in, he sat himself on the seat on the edge and closed his eyes, the water coming up to his chin, the black hair floating in the warm water like some aquatic plant life as droplets ran down his face, over the mottled blue hues of bruises and black scabbed cuts.

This was the first time she seen the human Sesshomaru look at peace.

She watched each path of drops run down his face until she realised she was seeing tears and knew he didn't want her to see him like this. So silently she drifted away a few feet and sat herself on the shelf, combing her hair with her fingers as two old women hum and chatter over the gargling water.

She doesn't know how long she was there, the lanterns high in the arches above lit the water below in a golden haze, somewhere far off outside was the sound of thunderous rain and the strangled plonk of a shamisan. Someone was singing and men laughing.

And the world was frozen.

* * *

The days that followed Sesshomaru stayed in the room of the inn. Much of the time he slept on the futon as time faded the wounds and bruises on his body. Kagome and Jaken had decided that in order to preserve their funds from depleting, she would find work which she did. She worked during the late day and early evening as a general housekeeper, cleaning and serving. She took on additional duties of sewing the damaged yukata and gave these to Jaken who did his bit by sewing these at night after remaining in the room all day away from humans.

Both miko and imp were forever casting eyes over at the abnormally quiet human who very rarely stirred and Kagome had enough when she asked Sesshomaru to hold Akemi and he made no attempt.

Not even when Akemi was practically in his lap did he respond, only to jolt away when his daughter fussed and dislodged her so she rolled to the bare floor.

"That is it!" Kagome hissed, Jaken for once directing his toadish fury at his master.

Grabbing the front of his yukata, Kagome yanked Sesshomaru towards her, anger making her spit every word in his face as she saw her face twisted in his surprised eyes.

"You are pathetic, you deserve to die if you refuse even now to get yourself back together and fight to live! Akemi is your daughter! She is all you have now and if you reject her, she is dead!"

He faintly tried to struggle but the grip Kagome had on him was much stronger than he thought.

"Where is the bastard I knew? The idiot that snubbed his nose at everyone? Where is that fighting spirit you were famous for? Should Jaken and I give up on you? Should Rin give up on you for not looking after her daughter..."

"How dare you! Don't you mention her name...!"

A loud slap interrupted the conversation; no it killed that moment dead as Kagome's eyes narrowed as her hand throbbed.

Sesshomaru stared back as the fire that was gone was starting to roar back to life in his brown eyes as the red handprint swelled up on his left cheek.

Kagome turned and left the room, aware that Jaken had started yelling at him as she stormed down the hall, patrons moving out of her way until she stopped in a dark corner of the gardens that adjoined the property.

Here the red lanterns were bright enough to illuminate the walkway but left the garden itself in deep shadows.

"What a cock." Kagome stated to the night air, feeling no better for announcing the statement.

She felt the first wave of burning pain in her chest that quickly stung her eyes and before she knew it, she was crying.

Crying for her deceased grandfather and the grieving family she'd left behind.

Crying for the frustration and anger at being here and yet crying at how Sesshomaru lost everything and how small and pathetic he looked right now.

She couldn't blame him for wanting to curl up and die but Akemi would truly die for she was miles away from any familiar faces that could help.

She sniffed and wiped the tears away as she felt someone sit next to the stone bench she somehow found herself on.

Sesshomaru or rather, Osamu.

There was a bit more life in him, for once she could see emotions on his face, confusion and anger.

She blinked.

"Why is there rice in your hair?"

His eyes narrowed.

"Jaken deemed it fit to throw tonight's dinner at me."

A small smile quirked her lips, "You deserve it."

He grunted in agitation, "He kicked me out of the room, for a small imp he wields a lot of magic."

He began to run his fingers through his hair to dislodge pieces of dumplings, obviously not sure of what to say and Kagome wasn't going to help him.

"Lets go back inside shall we?" was his final response, he was never going to apologise but at least he was speaking, despite the curt behaviour it was.

She sighed and followed him back to the room where a furious Jaken with his arms folded and staff aglow with magic awaited them.

"Well?" he demanded.

"The miko is safe and back here." Sesshomaru gestured and went to sit himself back down upon his futon which was now strewn with food but Kagome stopped him.

"I think it is time you met your daughter properly."

Immediately his eyes went widen with panic and already he was shaking his head but Kagome ignored it and went to pick Akemi up from her small cushioned bed.

With Jaken at the door armed with his glare and staff, Sesshomaru held his arms up to ward off the approaching woman armed with the baby.

"No...no this Sesshomaru doesn't know how to hold her..."

"Hush now, sit and be quiet. I'll show you."

He stood staring at her for a long moment and then relented, sitting down and crossing his legs as Kagome mirrored his actions and for a moment coddled Akemi until she was calm.

"But..." Sesshomaru's attempt to talk his way out of this was interrupted by Jaken, "I followed you everywhere my Lord, I done all you commanded of me but I will not be a tool in what is essentially is your destruction. You ignore Akemi, you will kill that last link you have with your mate. If you ever really loved her, you would love Akemi all the same." Jaken retaliated, his voice quivered as his eyes watered with unshed tears. "I loved Rin like she was my own daughter and I know I can love Akemi all the same. You're not the only one hurting here, we're all hurting! And Akemi's the one who is hurting the most."

Kagome said nothing, deciding the imp couldn't have put it better and unfolded one arm from around Akemi who was now quiet and staring up at her in curiosity, and pulled Sesshomaru's limp hands from being folded in his sleeves to lie facing upwards upon his knees.

She looked up and saw Sesshomaru's wide brown eyes looking down at his daughter.

"Here, take her from me. Make sure you support her head." She quietly instructed. Sesshomaru hesitantly reached up and slid his trembling fingers beneath his daughter's tiny body and picked her up, he awkwardly held her close to him as he looked down at her face whilst she stared back at her father, quietening when she felt his aura, familiar and safe.

Kagome heard him gasp, a noise so quiet she nearly missed it as she saw a blessed, rare smile upon his lips.

"Akemi." He breathed as he bought her closer to his face so he could inhale his daughter's scent.

"She's got my eyes." Sesshomaru breathed after a long, stunned moment. "And Rin's hair and her nose."

Akemi fussed and her father looked startled but quickly regained control when Kagome showed him how to sooth her.

"She's your daughter and is heir to the west and she is everything you have left now. Is she worth fighting for Sesshomaru?" Kagome quietly asked.

Sesshomaru's smile faded and he looked up, despite being so human and fragile and hopelessly lost, his brown, mortal eyes burned with a fire that was so like their former glory.

She didn't need to hear his answer for she saw it.


	9. Chapter 9

Hi!

Back with another update!

You may be curious to know i performed an experiement on . i wrote another one-shot story featuring Sess/Kags entitled "Bombs" which i have to admit, got a very warm reception which i never expected. Somewhere along the line, from all these years of experience on , i know that some people's stories only get large number of reviews just from the smut contents alone which i kinda think, unless it is well written, is bad. i enjoy the occasional smut but sometimes coming across stories with the main purpose of getting reviews by pulling in readers with sex scenes is leaving me kinda depressed at how people are not recognising a good piece of written work and only just trying to get their rocks off...so i wrote "Single all the Way." a short, smutfic featuring Sess/Kag in a sex scene...just to see what reaction i would get.

You readers suprise me.

whereas i got feedback of a good nature, it was more of a stilted response and this put faith back into me that i can trust my readers to be mature enough and honest to respect and acknowledge a work of effort rather than a work of crass. there are of course some great smut writers out there and if you need me to point out who they are, i'd be glad to but what seperates them to the average 15/16 year old girl trying to get her rocks off in a literal sense, is they build the story up in a sensitive manner and a story is a story.

so thank you!

I have faith now in you, the reader.

and so onwards with the story!

* * *

The man with a plan...and not much in his brains.

***************

The thing Kagome learnt was Sesshomaru was a good mimic. He would watch those around him with those sharp eyes of his and then react it himself, especially concerning his daughter.

He watched how Jaken held her or how Kagome washed her and then re-enacts it flawlessly under the watchful eyes of his servant and the miko who both try not to make it obvious they were staring.

Despite having odd moments where he went quiet and subdued, Sesshomaru was slowly responding to his environment around him.

Rin was still a sore subject matter and one best avoided, but Kagome was already chiding Sesshomaru on how to be "mortal."

And when he didn't listen, he usually found out she was correct.

Like the time he ignored his own body telling him he needed to eat, not use to having to eat more frequently than he did as a youkai, and nearly fainted until Kagome forced him to eat some cold broth leftovers.

Or the time when she had to look away from him first thing in the morning when he woke up, Kagome went bright red and gestured uselessly at him until he looked down to see other parts of him were very much awake and had been for some time.

Apparently, when she composed herself and explained, human men often woke up with an erection, something he now checked before climbing out of his futon.

He watched Kagome sew a small dress from some off cuts that were left over for repairing the inn's yukatas. The brazier and the lamp on the floor made Kagome frown in the limited light as she worked and curiosity drove him to ask what she was making. She was surprised when he asked if he could try himself and watching the human male cautiously sew his daughter's dress was an interesting sight, especially when Akemi fussed in her sleep and he absently, somewhat automatically reached a hand out and soothed her.

His wounds healed well and it wasn't long before he could walk unaided for long periods of time, going to bathe privately and occasionally taking Akemi to join him.

Kagome knew he didn't know what to think towards her, the occasional look of pain crosses his face once in a while and he would go quiet and somewhat snappy when she asked him what was wrong, as if to condemn her.

And she tried to ignore him, hard as it was living in small quarters in a town some hundreds of years in the past.

The day he took some money from their limited funds and came back with a map that was reasonably detailed, both Jaken and Kagome knew he was plotting their next move.

* * *

"We are here." He pointed to the map and Jaken helpfully placed an empty sake cup where indicated, earning a raised eyebrow from his master who carried on nonetheless in a voice that despite having lost its power was still stern enough to make even Akemi still and watch her father with wide yellow brown eyes.

"I...we..." he altered his word when Kagome grunted in agitation, "need to get here." His hand flew across the map to some obscure dot some distance away, now marked out by another sake cup placed there this time by Kagome.

Ignoring the clear annoyance on Sesshomaru's face, Kagome looked closer and saw their destination was now the mountains.

"Why, what is there?"

"Totosai. As my father's good friend he will help, I need a sword and we need somewhere safe whilst I..."

"Ehem!"

"Very well...we... plan our next move."

"How far is this journey?"

"Less than a day."

"Erm...Sesshomaru-sama?" Jaken looked ill at ease as Sesshomaru looked at him. "That was when you were a youkai, who knows how long it will take now."

Sesshomaru said nothing, the words on the tip of his tongue just escaped instead as a long exhale as he frowned.

"It won't be so..." Kagome attempted to placate him but he stood up and left the room.

After giving it a few moments, Kagome went to find him and she found him sitting on the same stone bench in the gardens.

"Are you alright?" Kagome hesitantly asked.

He snarled; the action not looking right now as there was no beast within him and his actions.

"How do you do it? How can you live with these bodies, how can you live with being so weak?"

Before she could answer, he punched the bench beneath him and in the darkness of the night, she could see he split his knuckle open and it was bleeding, an action that surprised even him.

"Ow." He stated as he cradled his injured hand to him, watching morbidly as blood flowed from the wound.

"Come on. Lets get back to the room and I'll sort your hand out."

Kagome took his arm and escorted him back where for the remainder of the night he stared at the map morosely and irritably scratched at the bandages on his hand.

"We will get there Sesshomaru." Kagome spoke, once Jaken and Akemi had fallen asleep.

His lips were pressed into a thin line and his brown eyes were downcast, scrutinising the map. It wasn't until he prop his chin on his hand did she smile.

He was sulking.

"We need to get there before the snow falls and we can't get into the mountains. Winter makes everything stop." Sesshomaru muttered, his eyes tracing the terrain marked on the paper before him.

In her sleep Akemi grizzled and his eyes looked over at his daughter who stirred and slept on.

"Akemi needs to get somewhere safe soon...as although she is a baby now, all hanyou and youkai pups will hit a growth spurt very soon after they are born. We won't be able to keep her youaki under control if we are surrounded by humans."

Kagome frowned, "Is there a way of getting your dragon here?"

He shook his head.

"What about any friends, youkai friends?"

He looked up from the map and frowned deeper, his eyebrows now a deep 'V'. "We youkai don't have...friends."

"So there is no one we can get to? What about Inuyasha?"

"He's not even in this country and I'm starting to wish I was out there with him right now."

"Well you're not so stop thinking that!" Kagome snapped.

"I just know that if we are with Totosai, we would be in a better position to get help, be safe and sheltered during winter and I can get a sword. Totosai haven't let my family down yet."

Kagome nodded, "Ok, we'll get to Totosai."

Outside the rain fell harder and it punctuated the difficulty this journey was going to bring.

"We can do this." Kagome spoke, more to herself but even Sesshomaru looked doubtful.

"We will do this." Kagome smiled and her determined expression made him nod.

"We got no choice anyway."

"It's call being positive Sesshomaru..."

A raised eyebrow was her silent response and she frowned in response.

Sesshomaru plotted the course out on the map and it took another two days to get ready for the journey, one of those days alone was just spent trying to convince Sesshomaru that they needed to go slow for the first few days due to his just healed injuries.

That, and the fact it would realistically take three days to reach the next major town and not the one day he allotted for travel time.

On the morning of the allotted day they were to travel, Kagome had a stroke of luck when she decided to try her luck and spoke to a young farmer who was happy to drop them off at the next villager where they were heading for on his delivery of rice.

Across from her in the back of the wagon, she watched Sesshomaru recline regally across the sacks of rice and she could see upon his face that he was happy to be on the move. Akemi squealed the movement of the wagon causing her face to scrunch up into a giggle then a laugh as Sesshomaru rocked her.

The bag besides Kagome jostled and she put a steadying hand on it to lessen the discomfort for Jaken inside until they arrived at their destination.

The day passed well, the sun was shining and in the lull of their journey, Kagome fell asleep and when she awoke, she saw for herself that even Sesshomaru had nodded off with Akemi clutched to his chest, allowing her to see just how alike father and daughter were in that moment.

By late afternoon, the wagon stopped and Kagome carefully picked up the snoring bag and stepped to the side of the road and waved farewell to the nice farmer as Sesshomaru fashioned a sling to carry Akemi then pulled out the map to confirm their current destination.

Once they were sure they were alone, Sesshomaru kicked the bag and Jaken woke, eventually climbing out to much fussing.

And their journey began.

* * *

By the third day they were in bad shape...

Well, Sesshomaru was in bad shape.

And stubbornly wouldn't admit it.

Just like he wouldn't admit he got them lost, not even when Jaken pointed out they passed the same waterfall twice.

And just like he stubbornly passed up every opportunity to rest and it wasn't until Kagome saw blood on the grass behind him did she sigh and signalled to Jaken they were stopping.

Sensing his travellers were no longer following, Sesshomaru stopped and turned to see Jaken , Akemi strapped to Kagome chest and the miko herself staring at him.

"We're stopping." She stated.

"I can see that, why?" he asked and he looked to the ground when Kagome and Jaken lowered their eyes to stare at his feet.

He winced but straightened up, "We need to push on! We haven't got far."

"Oh I think we can afford to rest a moment." Kagome highlighted this by pulling off the bag on her shoulders and sitting herself on a boulder that jutted up through the ground.

Jaken followed suit and even Akemi betrayed her father by choosing this moment all day to finally fall asleep against Kagome's breast.

Seeing he was defeated and outnumbered, Sesshomaru hobbled to another rock and seated himself, staring at his feet and not wanting to see the damage.

"Jaken, could you scout ahead and see if that town is nearby and report back to us?" Kagome asked, the imp stood back up and did so without a retort which surprised both humans.

Settling Akemi down nearby, Kagome knelt before Sesshomaru and took off the thin leather boots and then the wadding that bound his feet.

Using the water from a water skin, she washed away the blood to see the old branding scars upon the soles of his feet from the torture he endured reopened and from the state of it, he wasn't going to be walking again soon without agony.

"I'm running out of salve for these and dressing. We need to get to this town soon to allow us to restock and for you to rest up."

"We can't stop." He hissed as she prodded a sore spot.

"No, no we can't but you need to take it easy. You're human and we can't have you keel over just yet."

They quietly ate and Kagome made Sesshomaru rest his feet in the fresh air until Jaken returned to inform them they were much closer to the town than previously thought.

So far they have kept off the paths but not too close to the woods where they knew demons roamed and they been lucky they haven't encountered any on the night they slept in the open.

Whether the charms Jaken put up worked or not, it wasn't something they were going to diminish.

After binding Sesshomaru's feet and reminding him that since they were near civilisation once more, he was now Osamu by name. They departed abet slowly until they reached the main road where Kagome waved down a wagon and the two humans, a baby and a toad imp in the bag trundled into the town.

* * *

The courtyard below their room was full of men and maikos intermingling with the rare sighting of a geisha or two as the night darkened and the party atmosphere grew more rowdy.

They secured room above an inn which was also a popular tea house and since turnover here was apparently high and wealthy, the decor was more vibrant and opulent.

It also meant they had to be on their guard more.

Kagome already had a drunk trying to hit on her as she returned from the baths and Sesshomaru returned to their room sporting a smear of red paste on his lips where a prostitute offered her services free due to his good looks and kissed him.

Wisely Kagome said nothing as he fumed and muttered about being handled by the lowest of the low and changed behind the screen in the far corner.

The night so far wasn't quiet as drunks attempted to walk into the room, lost and confused as to where they were trying to get back to until Jaken put a hex on the doors that burned any fingers that tried to open them.

The futons were laid closer to each other than normal and Sesshomaru slept closer to the door with a knife under his pillow.

The following morning Kagome took an early stroll and bought herbs and the much needed first aid necessity for Sesshomaru and returned to see him in a panic.

Akemi was wailing and no matter what her father, imp and miko did, she wasn't going to stop.

Kagome felt something sharp protruding from her gums and saw the white tips of two fangs growing downwards.

"She's teething! She's only a month old!"

"Pups grow up fast as that is how we survive. Get her something to chew on."

Handing Sesshomaru a comb, Akemi was happily chewing on its handle before long and disaster was temporarily averted and quietened.

"You know this means she will be able to eat solids now? And soon her markings and whatever tai-youkai traits she inherited will be visible."

And Kagome saw the fatherly concern that was so long absence appears on his face as he jostled his daughter as he calmed her down.

"We'll be fine." Kagome broke off a small piece of cooled dumpling and held it up to Akemi's mouth and watched her messily shove it in her mouth, her hand to eye co-ordination already developed.

She gave Sesshomaru's shoulder a squeeze and relief was clear in his eyes as his daughter dropped the chewed comb and gurgled happily.

But the wailing of Akemi persisted into the night along with the noise of other drunk patrons and after Kagome telling Sesshomaru about how her mother soothed her brother when he was teething by running whiskey on his gum, then a longer conversation of her explaining what whiskey was and him confirming he knew she was from the future thanks to threatening Inuyasha once, Sesshomaru came up with an idea.

That idea was Sake and he ordered in his panic four bottles.

And when Kagome came back from the baths, she found Akemi slightly crossed eyed and giggling at nothing, Jaken giggling at her in response and trying to stand in the corner using the empty sake bottle as a stick...

And Sesshomaru looking rather confused and drunk staring at the bottle.

"This...Sesshomaru is confused....what is happening...to me?"

"You're drunk." Kagome frowned as she checked on Akemi and made her drink some water before bedding her down.

Jaken fell over his own feet and immediately fell asleep in a heap which left Kagome's attention purely on Sesshomaru who was absently playing with a strand of his hair.

"This Sesshomaru...doesn't...even get...drrrrrrunk.....eeeeever...."

"You are human now, your tolerance is way lower I suspect than a demon. Here, drink some water."

"Rin?"

She froze as he pushed his face right up to her own, she could see his brown eyes glazed over, his individual lashes batted in confusion as his lips opened and closed. His warm breath ghosted over her skin as she smelt the alcohol on his breath and a scent that was uniquely him.

"No..."

She was cut off but his own lips crushing her own, his arm flung around the back of her neck causing her to fall into him, his own teeth accidently biting her lower lip.

She hissed and tried to move away but his own heavy body covered her, caging her to the floor as his lips bumped messily into her own.

The wet slither of his tongue tackled her own as she opened her mouth to tell him to get off and somewhere his warm hand first groped her breast then slid up her bare leg where the yukata parted.

In her anger, she noted that as much as she was attracted to him despite being Inuyasha's idiot of a brother and that no woman was immune to his good looks even as a human, she could feel he was aroused and was so hard it burned through his clothing down to the skin of her clothed stomach.

"Rin." He breathed and she choked out, "I'm not Rin!"

He froze.

His breathing loud in her ear as she stared up at the ceiling, still with confusion as to what he was thinking now.

Within seconds, he ripped himself off her and staggered on his feet.

"Kagome?"

She mutely nodded, sitting up and clutching the yukata she wore together at her breast.

He staggered back into the wall and slumped against it, rubbing his hands down his face as his eyes burned into hers.

And before she could work out what he was thinking or doing, the shoji door behind them was pulled opened and he stumbled out, his uneasy gait thumping down the corridor until she heard him pick up his pace and run from the building.

Tears burned her eyes and despite knowing in her heart that she wasn't at fault for this incident, she couldn't forget the look upon his face when he realised she wasn't Rin.

The sheer look of desperation, despair and heartbreak was so plain to see.

By the time she wiped her tears away and came to her sense to try and tack down Sesshomaru, she knew it was too late and she couldn't leave an inebriated Jaken and Akemi behind.

Making sure a candle was burning safely inside the lamp and Sesshomaru's futon was rolled out and laid before the door, Kagome decided all she could do was get some troubled sleep.

* * *

At some point in the night Sesshomaru returned and it was his bare back that greeted Kagome the following morning. His black hair pooled on the mat below him like some great ink spill and the bleached cotton sheet was drawn up to his waist and revealed in his sleep he still wore his hakama.

He stirred and he rolled onto his back, one arm draped across his chest whilst the other lay beneath his head.

There was still a faint flush across his cheeks due to the Sake and when he pouted in his dreams, Kagome sat up further to see on his side of the face further from her was an interesting looking black eye and a split lip.

She scowled and decided to leave him be as no doubt he will awake in a foul mood and she was not looking forward to that.

Getting changed behind the screen and then looking for Jaken. She found him inside their travel bag where he had made a bed from her modern clothing she had hid them in order to blend in with feudal society, she had to smirk at Jaken who made a sleeping bag out of one leg of her jeans. Deciding he too needed his sleep, she closed the bag back up and stood upright just as the shoji doors slammed open, awaking all occupants.

Sesshomaru jerked upright and immediately regretted his action, his head now clutched in his hands as a sickly green tint drained his cheeks.

In the doorway were two men, both so fat that when they breathed, their bellies jiggled. Their hair was messily pulled back and both men were unshaven and uncaring about their appearances.

"We've come to collect what you owe, Osamu Tashio." One man growled and Sesshomaru, if possible went paler.

"What?" Kagome snarled, arms crossed as the two men stalked further into the room, both sets of eyes leering at her and she suddenly became very afraid of just what Sesshomaru/Osamu had done last night.

"Your husband had accrued debts at the game last night and you are what he offered." The other man spoke and Kagome felt sick.

"You what?" Osamu?!" she stared at Sesshomaru who had rather uselessly chosen that moment to be sick in the empty rice bowl.

"You sold me to these men to settle your gambling debts?! You don't even know how to gamble!" Kagome drew back her leg and kicked him; feeling briefly satisfied when he groaned in pain and muttered an apology.

"You...you....fucking bastard!" Kagome howled as the two men smirked, "A woman with a dirty mouth would be a well received addition to the tea house."

"You sold me to be a whore?!" Kagome roared and went to take another kick but the two men apprehended her and attempted to drag her from the room.

Fortunately Jaken had enough foresight to recognise that someone needed to do something and he kicked and struggled his way from the bag, until it rolled across the floor before the men and the accosted Kagome.

Both thugs froze and looked at the bag in confusion then one of them grunted in surprise as Jaken himself emerged with narrowed eyes.

"What the..."

Before he could complete his confused statement, the man was hit by a bolt of magic that sent him flying back into the shoji screens behind him and Kagome wrestled herself free from the limp grasp of the other thug and ran towards Akemi.

She whirled around the room and grabbed most of their possessions and was opening the window to escape when Sesshomaru stopped the second thug by throwing the rice bowl he was sick in directly at his head.

Even Sesshomaru cringed in disgust as the thug howled and tried to wipe his face free of the vomit as Jaken continued to fire magic at the first man until he sagged to the side, unconscious with some form of sleeping spell.

Swiftly, Sesshomaru kicked the feet from under the blinded man and delivered an elbow to the back of his head, knocking the thug out.

"Quickly, we must go!" Sesshomaru pulled on his haori as Jaken ran to the window by Kagome who had tied Akemi to her chest and was now climbing over the window frame and down the side of the building, anchoring each foot on the edge of the horizontal wooden slats.

Once they all lowered themselves into the alley beside the inn, they quickly righted themselves, Jaken hastily shoved into the bag which was carried by Osamu and they silently headed onto the main street and by the time the two thugs had came to and alerted their boss the woman was gone and the inn keeper was now out of pocket, Osamu, his "wife" and child and the strange little demon were long gone.

* * *

To say Kagome was angry was a big understatement.

It was like saying the sea was nothing but a puddle and that Mount Fuji was but a mere hill.

Kagome was Pissed...with a capital 'P'.

It took them two days to walk to the next nearest village, only stopping to buy dumplings and eel from roadside vendors and shacks.

And in all that time, Kagome said nothing to Sesshomaru who resorted back to his normal sulking rather than saying sorry.

It came to a head when that night, around a fire kept small to make sure it didn't lure anything to their camp, Sesshoamru snapped and said something along the lines that he could now see why Inuyasha had taken off numerous times with Kikyo just to avoid a second longer with a frigid, petulant miko who acted no more than a child at the best of times.

The camp froze and then in a flurry of indignant pain, Kagome stormed off into the darkness.

"Sesshomaru! That was uncalled for!" Jaken admonish, long forgetting that the human male was indeed his one time, youkai master.

"She asked for it!" He snapped, crossing his arms across his chest and stared at the fire.

In Jaken eyes, Sesshomaru looked so alike to his own-half brother at that moment he blinked.

Somewhere deep in the fauna that was the trees and bushes, there came a deep wail and Sesshomaru's sulk was forgotten as he sat up and stared to where Kagome last disappeared through the tree line.

"She doesn't want to be here, you dragged her through that well against her wishes Sesshomaru. She's now here saving you and Akemi from what was certain death and you just insulted her after treating her like the dirt on your shoes and trying to flog her away to a whore house."

Jaken quietly spoke, his yellow eyes were a-glisten with anger.

Another sob broke through the night air and Akemi gave a cry of her own, picking up on her foster mother's pain.

"What do I do?"

"Apologise!"

"But this Sess..."

"Will apologise! You have no choice and she is all that is keeping you alive." Jaken punctuated this command with a short stubby finger pointing towards where Kagome was.

"Fine. But I'm only doing this as otherwise her pathetic snivelling will draw every demon and animal towards our camp." Sesshomaru stood up and walked away from the light of the fire into the gloom of the night.

He didn't have far to go where lead by the quiet sobbing of Kagome, he found her sitting waist deep in a stream.

She turned her head to him, "I fell in! I was trying to get away from you and I...fell in!"

Somewhere in his gut, he felt the rolling sensation he had come to learn was guilt and with a sigh, he trudged forwards to the woman who had started crying and waded through the stream and knelt before her.

"Just leave me here! I want to dieeeee!" Kagome wailed, her tears shone silver in the waning moon directly above them and her fists flopped uselessly besides her, splashing the water as he reached out to her.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. I have no right to say what I said. I have no right to be forgiven for getting you caught up with my debts. I am sorry."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and under her knees and lifted her from the stream and carried her back to the bank where Kagome's sobbing quietened down to sniffles.

He didn't know what to do, not even when Rin was upset did he know how to console an upset female, so all he did was sit down and held her close to him until Kagome stopped and the front of his haori was now damp with tears and wrinkled from being fisted in her hands.

"Why bring me here Sesshomaru?" Kagome quietly asked.

"I didn't know what else I could do, I was near the well and felt your presence through all the magic there and thought you could help."

"I want to go home." She sounded so small and fragile that Sesshomaru closed his eyes as the guilty feeling in his gut became a boiling roil.

"I'll get you home someday Kagome, I owe it to you."

"I didn't kill Rin."

They were both so quiet for a long time until he whispered, "I know you didn't."

"I wish Inuyasha was here. I don't what he would do to help us but I miss him."

He didn't know what to say and wisely stayed quiet.

"I'm sorry this is happening to you Sesshomaru, even though I think you're an idiot at times, no one deserves this."

Thank you for those...kind hearted words...I think." Sesshomaru frowned and deciding that returning to the camp was a better idea that sitting by the stream in the dark. They rose to their feet and after a few more words directed at Kagome to ensure she was actually ok, he lead her back to camp and together they took off their wet sandals, tabi socks and their outer kimono and haori and laid them out by the fire to dry.

"Everything alright now with Kagome?" Jaken asked, once Kagome was asleep on the other side of the fire and Akemi was having her last feed of the night as Sesshomaru held the small water skin full of milk to her lips.

"I think so, she wants to go home Jaken."

"I could have told you that for nothing."

"I don't think I can get her home, I mean I lost everything including my powers and she's stuck here with me. I can barely keep myself alive let alone Akemi..."

"Sesshomaru-sama...she is a lot stronger than you give credit for. I think if you permit me to being so bold to say it, she is the one keeping us alive."

Looking over at his servant, Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, "Since when did you get so wise and clever Jaken?"

The imp went red and for once, went quiet.

Sesshomaru hoisted Akemi to his shoulder and patted her on the back to burp her, as shown by Kagome. His eyes fell on the woman herself and he sighed, something he has been doing a lot of late.

"What am I doing?" He whispered into the night, the starts twinkled in silent response as next to his ear Akemi finally belched.


End file.
